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Before he even became a Formula 1 driver, out on the tarmac, attempting to set a good lap time, Charles Leclerc was being closely followed.
Of course, who wouldn't follow a driver trained at the Ferrari driver academy? Charles has loved a good contest, seems different from the erratic youth most his age turn out to be, and for whatever that means to most of us, had been closely guided by the late Jules Bianchi.
Moreover, when Leclerc won the Formula 2 before being drafted into F1; the F2 Championship, appearing cool and tireless, it was clear that the man who was being fast-tracked into F1 racing wasn't just a loose wheel nut, but a fine talent.
Next up, as Leclerc picked up a P5 at Baku at the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, that effort coming in his maiden season, one he completed with a hat-trick of P7s in that Sauber, it became apparently clear that Ferrari hadn't replaced Raikkonen with just another driver.
Now as Charles Leclerc, now behind the wheel of the SF 70H went the fastest on Day-2 of the post Abu Dhabi GP's Test, big expectations of the Frenchman have become only too real.
In emerging the fastest at Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina, Leclerc, it could be seen, became an even bigger hot property that he was among the likes of newbies at McLaren and Red Bull.
In fact to quote from the venerable Sky Sports, "What's more, Leclerc's time - a 1:36.450 on 2019 hypersoft tyres, was quicker than new team-mate Sebastian Vettel's from Day One."
That Leclerc managed to set a time even faster than Sebastian Vettel- an accomplished driver and someone responsible for collecting four world titles- has nicely set the tone of what to expect from the 2019 F1 season.
Charles, now seeming in 'Red' hot form, apparently mentally and physically aligned with the challenge of driving a Scuderia Ferrari has maintained that he's looking forward to the challenge that awaits him in 2019.
Much before the conclusion of the 2018 season, Charles shared his candid thoughts on a possible rivalry of sorts with Sebastian Vettel, the numero uno driver at the Maranello-based outfit, where the 21-year-old said, "I am not here to be a second driver."
Well, it seems, we are all up for an interesting new season ahead. Just a little over three months left to go.
